After 18 centuries, Amaravati set to become a 'capital' again

HYDERABAD: The dusty town of Amaravati will regain the 'capital' status it had lost 18 centuries ago at 12.45 pm on Thursday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation on the auspicious day of Vijay Dasami.

Neglected for ages despite its glorious historical, political, archaeological, religious and cultural past, the once capital city of the Satavahana kings is all set to become the new capital city of bifurcated Andhra Pradesh.




While the ancient Amaravati had shaped the destiny of people spread over a vast geographical area that covered parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka for almost 450 years (till 220 CE), it's modern counterpart has been designed to be the 'gateway of India' on the east coast — with exclusive zones for commerce, trade, industry, knowledge, medicine, governance, greenery and tourism.

The rise of Amaravati from the ashes of neglect, however, has not been a smooth affair. It had to cross several hurdles: Political, environmental, bureaucratic and social.

Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu proved sceptics wrong when he successfully mobilised about 30,000 acres of prime agricultural land abutting the river Krishna in Vijayawada-Guntur region for the new capital. This is the first time ever that a capital city is being constructed in the country on parcels of land mobilised under the land-pooling concept wherein the owners get a share in the property post development and cost-escalation. They will get back almost 30% of their pooled farmland as expensive city land.

While Naidu convinced farmers to part with their cherished green fields that produce three crops a year, he also kicked off a controversy over locating the capital in the Vijayawada-Guntur region which is ecologically sensitive with unique flora and fauna, fragile water bodies and hill ranges that form part of the Eastern Ghats.

Also, there were concerns expressed by historians and archaeologists that the original Amaravati town, after which the state capital has been named, will go into geographical oblivion once the modern city takes full shape. Though Amaravati town is part of the capital region, it is outside the geographical jurisdiction of Amaravati, the new capital. Leftist parties also criticised the chief minister for excessive dependence on Singapore and Japan for capital city planning and execution.

Environmental, historical and social concerns apart, Amaravati sits pretty between two major cities — Vijayawada and Guntur — which will serve as catalysts for the growth of the new state capital. There are four national highways, one national waterway, the 'Grand Trunk' railway route, a fast expanding airport and a seaport in the vicinity.